Voting-booth



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. M. PATTON! VOTING BOOTH- No. 472,907. Patented ApxplZ, 1892.

YNEJOIMS Pumas ca. Pan-rename" WAENJNGTON, n. c.

(No Model.) I 2Sheets-Sheet J. M. PATTON.

VOTING BOOTH. No. 472,907. Patented Apr. 12, 1892.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. PATTON, OF 'HANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

VOTING-BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.-472,907, dated April12, 1892.

Application filed october 19, 1891- Serial 3N0. 409,133. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. PATTON, of Hannibal, Missouri, have made anew and useful Improvement in Voting-Booths, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The improvement relates to that class of booths which are adapted to befolded into a compact form. Considered generally, the improvedconstruction comprises a back and two sides, said sides being hinged tosaid back and adapted to be opened out to form a three-sided closet-likestructure suitable for isolating or screening the occupant while heprepares his vote, or to be closed so that the sides and back shall beparallel and quite close together to form a comparatively small, quitecompact package, readily handledand stowed.

The improvement consists partly in the means whereby the folding isfacilitated, partly in the means for securing the sides when opened andat the same time providing a desk for writing purposes, partly in theframing of the back and sides whereby lightness of structure is obtainedand at the same time provision made for receiving the parts of the deskwhen not in use, partly in the means for hanging the curtain, and partlyin minor details of construction, all substantially as hereinafter setforth and claimed, aided by the annexed drawings, making part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure l is a front sectional elevation ofthe improved booth opened, the parts being arranged as for use; Fig. 2 ahorizontal section of the same, the section being taken above the desk;Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, thedesk and its support being folded into the planes, respectively, of theback and side; Fig. 4, a .front elevation of the booth as in use, thecurtain being shown and partly drawn aside to exhibit the interior ofthe booth; Fig. 5, a plan of the booth opened as in use and showing thecurtain-rod,.but not the curtain; Fig. 6, a view of the booth folded.The View may be considered either a side elevation or a plan of thepackage. Fig. 7 is an end View of the booth folded.

battens a serve to cover the edges of the canvas, The side B and theside Care constructed in an analogous manner, the side 13 consisting ofthe frame 1), the cross-bars b and b the canvas 19 and the battens b andthe side 0 of the frame 0, the cross-bars c and 0 the canvas 0 and thebattens a, substantially as shown. means of the hinges b to the innerside of the frame a of the side A, and so that said side can be foldedagainst or substantially parallel with the inner side of the back A. Theside 0, by means of the hinges 0 is hinged to a strip D, which in turnis fastened to the back A and projects frontward, substantially asshown, and sufficiently to provide room for the side B when folded, asdescribed, against the back A, and to enable the side 0 when folded toinclose the side B,sub stantially as shown in Fig. 7. The side O'inwidth is preferably constructed so that its edge 0 when the booth isopened is even or thereabout with the edge 12 of the side B.

The side B is hinged bybe carried out with the canvas otherwiseattached, it preferably is applied to the frames at b c at the outerside thereof, substantially as shown, partly to give a better appearancetothe structure, but more especially to provide spaces within the planesof the frames, respectively, for the reception of various parts of thedesk, and as follows:

E represents a desk or table top suited for writing upon, which by meansof the hinges e is attached to the cross-bar a of the back Aand adaptedto be upturned into a horizontal or approximately horizontal positionbetween the sides B and C and to be turned downward into the plane ofthe frame a, (said positions shown, respectively,.in Figs. 2 and 3,) andF F represent brackets attached, respectively, to the sides B and C andadapted .into the planes, respectively, of the frames (9 and when thebooth is to be folded. The

two positions of the brackets are shown, re-

spectively, in Figs. 1 and 3. The bracket F is provided with journals ff, which engage, respectively, in the cross-bars b and?) of the side 15,and the bracket F is similarly provided with journals f f, which engagein the cross-bars c and c of the side 0. The brackets are respectivelyprovidedwith studs f f which, when the desk is raised and the bracketsare in position to meet it, engage in perforations e e in the desk,substantially as shown in Fig. 1. By this means the desk is not onlysecured in position for use, but provision made for tying and bracingthe sides B and C securelyin position, so that the booth shall retainits form in use, for the desk and brackets,when united in the mannerdescribed or in any other analogous manner, becomein effect a tie orbrace for holding the sides B and C so that they shall not turn upontheir points of connection with the back A.

In some States a voting-booth must be capable of being inclosed on allfour sides To meet this requirement the present booth is provided with acurtain G. It is by means of the rings g, hung upon a rod H, which inturn is supported upon the sides B and O. The curtain can be drawnacross the opening between the'sides to entirely inclose the voter inthe booth. v The curtain-rod also serves as a tie for connecting thesides B and Gwhen the booth is being used. The rod is also preferablyconnected with one of the sides, so that it cannot become detachedtherefrom, and hence provision is made for disposing of the rod when thebooth is folded, as follows: The rod is jointed to the side B at theouter edge thereof by means of a screw-eye h, which is inserted in theside B, and at the other end thereof the rod is provided with an eye h,which when the booth is opened can be made to engage with a hook kattached to the side 0. When the booth is folded, the rod is disengagedfrom the hook k and is turned around and made to engage with a hook hattached to the side B at the inner edge thereof. The two positions ofthe rod are shown, respectively, by the full lines in Figs. 4 and 5, andby the full lines in Fig. 6, and the broken lines in Fig. '7. As theside B is in width narrower than is the openingbetween the sides B and 0when the booth is unfolded,the rod is necessarily somewhat longer thanthe width of the side B, and to provide for compactly stowing the rodwhen the booth is folded the rod is connected with the screw-eye h bymeans of the slot or elongated opening 11 substantially as shown,whereby the rod when the booth is folded can be slipped upon thescrew-eye h to lap upon the strip D, substantially as shown in Figs. 6.and 7.

I claim v 1. Afolding voting-booth having, in combination, the back, thetwo sides, the desk, and the brackets, said back and sides eachconsisting of a frame and a canvas or other covering applied to theoutside of said frame, said desk being adapted to be closed into theplane of the back frame and said bracket-s being adapted to be closedinto the planes of the side frames, respectively, substantially asdescribed.

2. A folding voting-booth having, in combination, the back, two sides,the desk, and the brackets, said sides being hinged to said back,

said desk being adjustable to be upturned, as described, said bracketsbeing adapted to be swung into position to support said desk and saiddesk and said bracket being adapted when opened out to be interlocked toform a brace for holding said sides in position when the booth isunfolded, substantially as described. g

3. A folding voting-booth having, in combination, the back, the hingedsides, the curtainrod, and the curtain, one of said sides beingfurnished with the eye and hook, the other of said sides being furnishedwith the hook, and said rod having the elongated opening and the eye,substantially as described.

4.. A folding voting-booth having, in combination, the back, the twosides, the desk, and

the brackets, said back and sides each con- .sisting of a frame,cross-bars, and a canvas or other covering applied to the outer side ofsaid frame, said deskbeing hinged to the upper cross-bar of said backand adapted to be raised into a position for use or to be closed intothe plane of the frame of the back and said brackets being respectivelyjournaled in the cross-bars of said sides and adapted to be swunghorizontally into position to support said desk or to be closed into theplanes of the side frames, respectively, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 15th day of October, 1891.

JOHN M. PATTON.

W'itnesses: V p

E. D. BREWINGTON, WILLIAM WALTERS.

